Tough Love

It was a Tuesday morning at the start of Paris Fashion Week when we caught up with Jessie Ware, who was on the move to Scotland to promote her soon­-to-­be-released sophomore album Tough Love on the radio waves. But Ware, who’s best known for her hit “Wildest Moments” off of her critically acclaimed album titled Devotion (it’s never missing from a CR office playlist) is quite unlike any other world-­famous musician we’ve spoken to. She’s animated, not the least bit shy, brutally honest—and even though she’s been deemed the next Sade—is down­-to-earth in a way that can’t be faked.

At the start of her career Jessie’s stunning vocals were sung on club tracks for Aaron Jerome’s SBTRKT and Joker. All three are part of a generation of UK pop artists that are not only more collaborative than their ’90s predecessors, but are less focused on becoming the face of their own work. But after the success of Ware’s solo release in 2012, she was no longer left with that choice. Devotion was recorded in mostly low­-key sessions with Dave Okumu of The Invisible and quickly became one of the most popular albums of the year, claiming die hard fans like Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and millions of others around the world. It might be an appropriate time to add that our own editor in chief is on that list.

Two years have now passed, and her following is anxious to hear the unrequited love­-themed album titled Tough Love. In talking to Ware, it’s clear that she’s managing to relish this moment, so we wanted to know, how does she avoid the problem that plagues so many artists: “second album syndrome?”

I’ll enjoy each moment that is so fabulous, and exciting, and grand.

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“I’ve been asked this question before. I did enough worrying when it came to the first album,” Ware explains. “Enough time has passed since then for me to feel really hungry, powerful, and excited that I have more to give. I’m evolving and the new album demonstrates the process that I’m embarking on. I feel more comfortable now—and not much else in my life has changed, which is because I have amazing people around me. There are moments that are overwhelming and bizarre, but I won’t take anything for granted. I’ll enjoy each moment that is so fabulous, and exciting, and grand.”

But it was some not-­so­-grand moments that led to the recording of Tough Love. Ware had completely run out of energy after a demanding tour schedule, and confesses to having had a few too many drinks before recording one particular track with singer Miguel. “Unfortunately I was horrifically hungover when I recoreded “You and I Forever” with Miguel,” Ware recalls. “However, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a song about being ready for someone to say that they’ll be yours forever. We [Sam Burrows] were together for a long time before he said that. And it wasn’t that I needed to get married, but I needed an admission that he would be there when I got back from tour. And that even though my world is bizarre, he’d be around. It’s celebrating that chapter that would be a big deal for anybody. I wanted to enjoy and document that. There’s another song about Sam, (Sweetest Song) but I didn’t need for the whole album to be about him. Good songwriting is about telling stories that are not all necessarily about me.”

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To produce her story telling for album number two, Ware picked up a new team with fellow members who can relate to her sudden rise to fame. The album was recorded by BenZell, a new production duo made up of Two Inch Punch and Katy Perry and producer Benny Blanco, who composed and produced Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” and Ke$ha’s “Die Young.”

The next stop in Jessie’s whirlwind life is Paris, where she’ll attend Miu Miu’s spring show and put on a special performance at our own CR Fashion Book Issue 5 launch party. “It worked out perfectly. I love Paris and the fact that I’m performing there,” Ware says .”I have an amazing relationship with Miuccia Prada. I went to Miu Miu’s show two years ago, and was quite surprised that they had approached me. I find the fashion world to be intimidating—it’s not totally my world—so Miu Miu has been like a big sister. To their credit, they always host the most amazing parties and dinner with such interesting people there. We have had so much fun collaborating over the years. They made me a customized outfit for the Brit Awards. We have fun together and it’s a very real relationship, just like the the beginning of my relationship with CR. It feels very real, and it’s the same with Miu Miu. My approach to fashion and music is the same.” We won’t reveal too much about her pending performance, but Ware mentioned that the party’s hosts, Carine Roitfeld and Stephen Gan, suggested a Billy Holiday­-inspired stage look.

And then before she knows it she’ll be on the road again. “I’ll be touring throughout the next year and I can’t wait for all of those moments at the shows and the festivals. By then, people will have the album and will be able to sing out those words with me. That’s the best feeling as a performer. And I’ve been that person in the crowd wanting to shout out a song.”

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Since we’re among the first to preview the full second album, we promised to sing along with Ware on Tuesday evening in Paris. “You had better sing loud and proud!” Ware joked, and then concluded our interview by saying, “I don’t have anything else to say about myself. I’m bored with myself.” Far from bored though, we parted ways on a high note with a promise for a great evening on Tuesday. Stay tuned to CR for new music from Tough Love, to be released on October 6, 2014.

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